HERSHEY, Pa. — Connecting farmers with food banks can be a win-win situation.
For the food banks, it means a fresh variety of produce for the people being served.
For the farmers, it means a risk management option.
“Go out and get your best price first,” said Tom Mainzer of Feeding Pennsylvania. “Whatever you can’t sell, keep (food banks) in mind.”
Mainzer spoke on a Jan. 28 panel about bridging the gap between farmers and food banks at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention.
Many people think of food banks and pantries as just providing dry goods, but fresh produce, protein and dairy are also needed and important items, said Erica Mowrer, who also spoke on the panel.
Mowrer is with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which serves over 250,000 people each month.
“Our need is greater than it ever has been,” she said. “So we need to have a constant fresh source of these produce, protein and dairy.”
For central Pennsylvania, produce is the top priority in terms of fresh foods.
But food banks aren’t necessarily looking for the best produce. They are perfectly happy using seconds that wouldn’t otherwise sell at a retail level.
“We love number twos,” Mainzer said. “Apples that are too big or too small, or too red or not red enough — it’s still an apple. We take all that.”
From left, Beth Hamilton, Tom Mainzer and Erica Mowrer spoke on a food bank panel at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention on Jan. 28, 2025 in Hershey, Pa.
But how do growers get in with their local food banks? It starts with a simple phone call or email, and sooner is always better than later.
Both Mainzer and Mowrer stressed communication and building relationships.
Establishing a connection in the offseason will help when growers suddenly find themselves in a busy harvest with a bunch of extra potatoes that couldn’t be sold in traditional markets.
“That communication piece, start now so that it’s not an emergency this summer or next fall,” Mowrer said. “Kind of get in the door now so that everybody is familiar with what you have and what the opportunity will be.”
Pricing will depend on a handful of variables. There is no one-size-fits-all pricing structure, Mainzer said. There is often a difference in price based on whether the produce is a first or second and how it’s packaged. Plus, each food bank handles funds a bit differently.
Mowrer said one of the biggest responsibilities a food bank has is to make sure farmers are not set up for failure, and active communication about the needs on both sides is key.
Creating the relationship between grower and food bank also helps to bridge gaps in understanding. Not all procurers at food banks understand agriculture, and not all farmers understand the needs and demands of food banks.
Rob Amsterdam, who retired from Feeding America and helped to moderate the panel, suggests growers take a trip to visit their local food bank and even spend some time volunteering their to understand the operation.
Even as inflation has decreased and the COVID-19 pandemic declared over, food banks have had to distribute large amounts of food.
On the flip side, Amsterdam recommends food bank representatives visit some of the farms they source from.
While food banks have constant need for fresh food, individual locations can’t always take everything a farmer is trying to sell.
But because Feeding Pennsylvania is a network of 13 food banks serving all 67 counties, if the closest food bank doesn’t have a need for a specific load, it’s possible a neighboring one does.
There is also the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative, which goes beyond Pennsylvania and connects Feeding America food banks serving the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.
The regional cooperative can often handle larger quantities of produce than individual food banks can.
In fiscal year 2024, the cooperative went through 65 million pounds of produce, working with 63 regional farms and also the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market.
“Food banks, they need variety,” said panelist Beth Hamilton of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative. “We can aggregate. We can bring in each of your tractor trailer loads and then mix it up. Food banks can move variety all day long.”
Between Feeding Pennsylvania and the cooperative, if a grower has food available, there is most likely a place for it to go.
“We try to find solutions for everything, no matter the quantity, the product,” Mainzer said. “We really try to not say ‘no.’”
